Yeah, man. I'm from G.com. What do you use for recording? I am still learning the BR1200CD, but I'm having a blast. I've written a new song, and I am trying to write just a regular drumbeat on the simulator. I am eventually going to have to buy a drumkit, but for now this will have to do. Thanks for the welcome.

Well, I have to admit, the stand alone is a lot easier, especially for me. I needed something to plug in and play, and that's basically what this is. I have just about finished my first song. Going back through, tweaking this, changing the drum patterns for the intro, fills, etc. I am using a dynamic mic right now. What do you use?

I am used to computers but I wanted something dedicated (and not another PC in the room). The VS is nice because I can still use a mouse, keyboard and monitor.

For drums? I use EZDrummer and mix them down in Reaper after I find what I want and make any changes. I send it over to 2 tracks on the 2400 via a mixer (I know... the long way around, signal degradation, etc.). then I add guitars, bass, vocals, and any keys in the VS.

Now, I will eventually get into the VS-880 series. One of my favorite Hip Hop artists, RZA uses one, and he comes up with some really wonderfull orchestrated rythms, and that's all he uses! So eventually, about 5-10 yrs down the road. First I want a bass rig, and drumkit. What kind of mics do you use? I'm thinking the next mic I buy will be a tube condenser. What do you think of those?

Well, I am looking at a Carvin Tube mic. I believe it is the only one they make. But I almost always buy my gear when it's used, or at least been sitting on the shelf for a while. The way I figure it; If it's been sitting there taking a beating a little, and I can get a really great deal, then that is better than buying it brand new and not knowing if it is going to last a year. I will have to get a new amp, as well, before too long. I want a VOX. Perhaps a smaller amperage, tube style. But I definitely want one. I'd like to get one of the Valvetronix, hybrid types, because I love solid state and I love the tube sound. Plus I love getting different sounds out of the modeling amps. What type of guitars did you buy? The only other ones I want are an Ibanez EP9 Euphoria, and a PRS or Ibanez Prestige. Probably going to stick to the Ibanez Presige. Ibanez has always been good to me.

I also want a condenser mic, but I don't know what makes a good one, bad one. This and some monitors is probably going to be my next purchase.

But I have a question; I recorded my cd of one song last night, and the bass was too high. I have been trying to master the song, but I have no idea what low freq does, or mid-high freq., or any of the other knobs such as these. This BR1200 has a time value knob that sets all of the knobs on the screen. But there are so many. Where do I go to get info on this? Not necessarily Boss version, but a place, maybe on this web page where they give you the basics. These are probably questions that have been asked a million times, and like being on G.com and listening to someone ask if Led Zepplin is the best band of all time, I don't want to be "that guy." If you could help me, or steer me in the right direction. Maybe it's already been discussed in detail better than the manual suggests.

All my guitars are fairly inexpensive. The 2 I got were both Peaveys. The ones I went to the store to check out were the Generation EXs because I wanted a Tele style guitar to complement the humbucker equipped gits I already had and had heard a lot of good things about the Peaveys.

I ended up buying the Generation Triple/Single EXP, kind of a Tele body meets Strat (three single coils)... Nashville Tele? Neck is pretty sweet, frets dressed nicely no buzz anywhere, thinner than the C shape that Fender's been using lately... maple with maple fingerboard 25.5 inch scale, transparent butterscotch finish on an alder body. Not sure about the pickups yet not bad sounding or anything, really bright, but that's what I wanted right? Anyway it was only $200 new so I can afford to change the pups(guitar made in China, but the fit and finish is as good or better than a lot of MIM or USA Fenders I've played).

While I was waiting for them to set it up I spotted a P-90 equipped guitar off in a corner looking lonesome. I didn't recognize it so I went to go check it out. It was a Peavey Firenza. Kinda' Peavey Wolfgangish in shape... USA made with hardware from Gotoh (China?)(pups, pots, tuners, etc.). Transparent red finish, mahogany body, satin finished maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, 25 inch scale ala PRS. And those P-90s actually sounded pretty good... esp. the neck pup. What sold me was the price... $175 out the door originally about $700 or 800 msrp.

It had been sitting there probably for 6-10 years for some reason (only made from 1998-2002) and never sold. Plays and sounds great. Has a chip in the paint by the strap button on the lower bout where some kid probably dropped it when he was trying it out. Had to have it so after a quick call to the wife I walked out with 2 guitars for $375 and both feel and sound great.

I've never owned a tube mic and as for condensers, most of my knowledge comes from reviews or trying them out at friends houses or music shops. Which is how I discovered my Hamburg and Bluebird. I've only been into this recording thing for a little while and I'm not very good at it... still learning, like you, so take everything that follows with a grain of salt.

You should start another post regarding mics. Maybe in the recording booth forum or the product reviews forum. I don't think anyone's really paying attention to this post except us, but there are a lot of knowledgeable people on the VS boards. If you don't get the answers you are looking for in the BR1600 forum don't be shy about asking in the other forums... someone may have your answer in a different part of the boards and everyone is really cool here (except in the political forum ).

To get you started, I've seen mics mentioned several times around here everything from condensers, dynamics, tubes and ribbons. Different mics have different uses, so did you want the mic for vocals or micing acoustics or amps. If for micing amps then an SM57 seems hard to beat and is inexpensive. Some people would use a ribbon or a combination of dynamic and ribbon or a large diaphragm condenser. Lots of options. As for vocals, every voice is different so best to go try them out with the voice that will be using it. Some like dynamics for vocals too... SM58, SM7, etc.

Audio Technica's 3035, 4040, 4033, & 4050 condensers have been mentioned. Studio Projects B1 and C1 get talked about. CAD's M179 condenser. A lot of people like the Rode mics like the NT1-A, NT2-A, NT1000 or the small diaphragm NT5 (the latter usually for drum overheads or micing acoustics).

Ask yourself why you want a tube mic. If you think like a guitarist then you are probably thinking warm and full character mic, with lots of overtones and rich harmonics, but a lot of tube mics (from what I hear) are very clean and open sounding (which may or may not be what you are looking for). Whereas some non tube condensers equate more to the warm full characteristics that we as guitarists associate with tubes... and a lot of the sound of the mics have more to do with the preamp that they are running through... just like a guitar through a tube or ss amp.

One thing that most agree on is: bad mic through good preamp can be good, good mic through good preamp can be excellent, good mic through bad preamp is usually mediocre, and bad mic through bad preamp circuit sucks.

My main guitar is a PRS Paul Allender SE. I also have an Agile PS-1000 with a Duncan JB p-up in the bridge and an Ibanez AS73 semi-acoustic. An old Peavey bass with a Duncan P and Jazz p-ups. They run through my Peavey Blues Classic amp (or for recording my Vox Tonelab or Bass Pod XT). Only the bass is heavily modded - just the p-up on the Agile, everything else is stock (It seems like I have a thing for Peaveys but I really don't... lol). I also just gave my daughter my Jay Turser thinline tele copy she was lusting after (the one guitar that I really didn't care for... probably because I bought it online sight unseen and had a really hard time with the shop that sold it to me... hence the "need" to get another tele style).

So an inexpensive collection of various guitars that I think have a lot of different and excellent sounds between them.

I've owned a lot of Gibsons (LP Specials, Customs, Standards, a Melody Maker- my first, a Hummingbird, a Blues Hawk, a 335-S Deluxe), a few Fenders (Strats mostly, but at least 2 Teles and a Mustang), Ibanez (Artist and Iceman), Kramer (aluminum neck with wood inset), Epi's, an early '80's Dean Z, Fernandez, Yamaha acoustic and a lot of others that I've probably forgotten. Most of them were used. I used to love used but not abused, broken in stuff.

I think these cheap guitars I have now are every bit as good in sound, feel and playability as any Gibson or Fender or any guitar I've owned through the years.

The most I've ever spent is about $550 (PRS SE) and before this year I'd never paid more than $400 ($200 with trade) for a guitar. (Back when I was buying, selling and trading that was about the going price for used Gibsons or Fenders, less for other brands and it kills me how much most of the axes sell for now... and how much I could have gotten on ebay). Mid 80's I settled down and started a family and pretty much kept my GAS under control, but the last couple of years got me started again with recording equipment and this last year it's been guitars, lol.

I'm in the Xark camp when it comes to tone. It's the player not the guitar. If the git feels good and you connect with it you can coax a good sound out of it esp. through a decent amp.

I love my Ibanez, but like any other man, with GAS, I would love to have a Paul Reed Smith guitar. No other guitar is that distinct as far as the presence it gives. I am having fun with the BR1200CD. I am writing a Satch kind of riff right now. I want to try and put two solos over it. One with my guitar, and one with my trumpet. We'll see. I have a 1970's vintage Directors Conn. My brother in law gave it to me. Now I must use it.